Impervious Surface Reduction

Green Rooftops
Purpose
Water Quantity
Flow attenuation
Runoff volume reduction

Water Quality
Pollution prevention
Soil erosion N/A
Description
Sediment control N/A
Green rooftops are veneers of living vegetation installed atop build-
ings, from small garages to large industrial structures. Green rooftops Nutrient loading N/A
(sometimes called eco-roofs) help manage stormwater by mimicking
a variety of hydrologic processes normally associated with open
space. Plants capture rainwater on their foliage and absorb it in their Primary design benefit
root zone, encouraging evapotranspiration and preventing much
Secondary design benefit
stormwater from ever entering the runoff stream. What water does
leave the roof is slowed and kept cooler, a benefit for downstream Little or no design benefit
water bodies. Green roofs are especially effective in controlling
intense, short-duration storms and have been shown to reduce
cumulative annual runoff by 50 percent in temperate climates.
Key considerations for implementing green roofs include structural
and load-bearing capacity, plant selection, waterproofing and drainage
or water storage systems.
All green rooftops include the following basic component layers, listed
from the bottom up:
• Waterproofing and root barrier
• Insulation (optional)
• Drainage and filter layer
• Soil and plants
Green rooftops can be built in a variety of ways, but the simplest
involves a relatively light system of drainage and filtering components
and a thin layer of soil mix (2 to 4 inches), which is installed and
planted with drought-tolerant herbaceous vegetation. Roofs built this
way are called extensive systems.
More complex green rooftops, or intensive systems, employ deeper
soils to accommodate tree and shrub root systems and structures to
support human use. They require higher structural load capacity as

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Impervious Surface Reduction
Green Rooftops
well. For the purposes of this document, the informa-
tion presented hereafter will be limited to the simpler
extensive roof systems designed for lightweight
overburden construction on flat and sloped roofs not
meant for human use.
Despite centuries of use in Iceland and recent initia-

Source: Velazquez, 1999

tives to encourage their use in Canada, Germany,
France, Austria and Switzerland, green rooftops are
relatively rare in this country and the market remains
immature. However, several new and planned
projects—including last year’s retrofit of the Chicago
City Hall and a 450,000-square-foot vegetated roof
planned for a new Ford assembly plant in Dearborn,
Michigan—are raising visibility and encouraging the
nascent U.S. market for green roof technology. The Green Institute in Minneapolis is installing a vegetated roof;
see Appendix B.

Advantages
• Green rooftops reduce and delay stormwater runoff.
• Help improve air quality by reducing CO2 levels.
• Insulate buildings, reducing cost of both heating and cooling.
• Sound-absorbing and insulating properties can help make buildings and their surroundings quieter.
• Increase life expectancy of rooftop waterproofing due to protection from ultraviolet rays and mechanical
impact.
• Reduce the urban heat island effect by cooling and humidifying surrounding air. They also help filter and bind
airborne dust and other particles.
• Increase habitat for birds and butterflies, partially compensating for landscape lost to building development.
• Provide attractive views from other buildings.

Limitations
• Since water is being encouraged to remain on the roof, any damage to waterproofing materials may have
serious consequences for a building. (At least one North American company offers an electronic leak deten-
tion system. See “Waterproofing,” below, for other ways to reduce risk.)
• Can be expensive to design and construct, especially when retrofitting an existing building.
• Planting atop a sloped roof necessitates special erosion control structures.
• Maintenance for a green roof is likely to be higher than for a conventional roof.

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Impervious Surface Reduction
Green Rooftops

Figure 2: Monolithic Membrane Green Roof

Source: Adapted from Miller 1998 and American Hydrotech*

• Extreme sun and wind conditions present a challenge for plant survival.
• Weight of snow may limit applications to roofs with high-load-bearing capacity or where retrofit budgets are
generous.

Requirements
Design
Roof Structure and Location Considerations
The load-bearing capacity of the underlying roof deck is a critical consideration in designing a vegetated rooftop.
This means considering both dead load—the total weight of roof materials (including soil and plants) along with
snow—and live load. For an extensive green roof, the live load includes people who will be atop the roof during
maintenance procedures. Generally, green roofs weighing more than 17 pounds per square foot saturated require
consultation with a structural engineer. Design of green roofs can circumvent some structural limitations by placing
soil and plants over load bearing members. In retrofit applications, load capacities of existing roofs may be in-
creased, but this is typically difficult and costly.
Flat roofs (or those with a pitch of up to 1.5 percent) are easiest to install
and least complex. Those with steeper slopes usually require the addition
* This mention does not constitute an
of cross-battens to hold the drainage layers in place as well as more soil endorsement of product.
erosion control. With all rooftops, consider sun and shade conditions and

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Green Rooftops

Requirements
Design (continued)
plan plantings accordingly; deeply shaded areas
may not be suitable for extensive-roof plant
species. The maximum slope for a green roof is
about 25 percent.
Follow state and/or local standards with respect to
wind resistance of rooftop elements. Since uplift
pressures tend to be higher at roof corners and
perimeters, these areas may be designed as
“vegetation-free zones.” Substrate soil can be
protected from wind via erosion control mats
anchored on or near the soil surface.
Fire resistance can be attained by installing soil as
specified and, on larger structures, creating
Figure 3: Sheet Membrane Green Roof firebreaks/barriers a minimum of 130 feet apart.
Source: Sarnafil*
Non-vegetative materials, such as stone or pavers
must be installed around all rooftop openings and
at the base of all walls that contain openings.

Waterproofing
Monolithic membrane, a rubberized asphalt product applied as a hot liquid, is generally thought to provide supe-
rior waterproofing and easier maintenance. Since it is installed directly on the roofing deck, existing roofing must
be completely removed.
Thermoplastic sheet membranes are typically installed over a vapor barrier and insulating layer. With certain
limitations, sheet membranes may be installed over existing roofing, although manufacturers prefer that existing
roofing be removed.
Protective layers are placed atop both types of waterproofing: a modified bituminous protective sheet for the
monolithic membranes and high density polyethylene (HDPE) over sheet membranes.
To discourage roots from interrupting the waterproofing, a physical or chemical root barrier is installed over the
protective layer. For extensive systems, with their relatively shallow-rooted plants, a thin physical layer is usually
sufficient.
On monolithic membranes, a Styrofoam insulation layer may be installed above the root barrier.

Moisture Retention and Drainage

The drainage system, often consisting of recycled-polyethylene elements resembling egg crates, creates a series
of small depressions that retain rainwater for plant uptake during dry
periods and allow drainage of surplus water. Depth of the drainage layer * This mention does not constitute an
varies, depending on level of runoff management desired and roof-deck endorsement of product.
load-bearing capacity.

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Impervious Surface Reduction
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Above the drainage system and below the soil, a geosynthetic
filter mat prevents fine particles from being washed out of the
overlying soil and compromising the drainage layer.

Soil
Soils for green roofs are lighter weight than typical soil mixes;

Source: Velazquez, 1999

they generally consist of 75 percent mineral and 25 percent
organic material. They must be carefully formulated to meet
oxygen, nutrient and moisture needs of plants as well as offer the
appropriate pH level.

Plants
The range of plants suitable for use in rooftop landscapes is
limited by the extremes of the rooftop microclimate, including high
wind, drought and low winter temperature due to lack of ambient heat (normally retained in the ground). As a
result, alpine or subalpine species are best suited to rooftop applications. These include a variety of sedums,
wildflowers and grasses, some of which are listed below. All have shallow root systems, grow no higher and a foot
tall and tolerate shallow soils.
3 Inches Soil Minimum 2 Inches Soil Minimum
Dianthus carthusianorum Sedum album
Dianthus deltoides Sedum floriferum
Dianthus plumarius Sedum hybridum
Hieracium pilosella Sedum reflexum
Koeleria glauca Sedum sexangulare
Petrorhagia saxifrage Sedum spurium
Sempervivum hybriden
Thymus serpyllum

In more elaborate schemes, infrastructure such as irrigation, increased insulation and venting from interior heat
sources can be employed to overcome microclimate stressors.

Construction
• Correct and meticulous application of the waterproof membrane is essential to the viability of the rooftop.
Special care must be taken to waterproof areas around flashings, walls and roof perimeter.
• It is essential to mark the position of the roof outlets before installing the protection layer, so that they can be
located easily and the root barrier and protection mat cut out accordingly.
• A test for watertightness is usually conducted after membrane and before protective layer is installed.
• Temporary ballasting of individual components and erosion control may be necessary to avoid wind uplift
during installation.

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Requirements
Maintenance
• Weed at least twice annually. This will usually mean pulling any plants taller than a foot—typically tree seed-
lings.
• Some companies will conduct annual surveys of green roofs to verify that the waterproofing system remains
watertight below the vegetated cover.

Sources
1. American Hydrotech, Inc. n.d. The Garden Roof Planning Guide. Chicago.
2. Canada Office of Urban Agriculture. 1999. “Rooftop Gardens” in City Farmer. www.cityfarmer.org/
rooftop59.html Vancouver, BC.
3. Center for Watershed Protection. 2001. “Green Rooftop Credit” in Manual Builder on
www.stormwatercenter.net Ellicott City, MD.
4. Kuhn, Monica. 1995. “Rooftop Resource” in Natural Life. St. George, Ontario. (Also in City Farmer.
www.cityfarmer.org/rooftop59.html)
5. Port Phillips Ecocentre n.d. Gardens in the Sky–Rooftop Greening Project “Design Guide” on
www.portphillip.vic.gov/au/ecocentre/rooftop Melbourne, Australia.
6. Miller, Charlie. 1998, “Vegetated Roof Covers” in Proceedings of the 1998 Pennsylvania Stormwater
Management Symposium. Villanova University, Villanova, PA.
7. Miller, Charlie and Grantley Pyke. 1999. “Methodology for the Design of Vegetated Roof Covers” in Proceed-
ings of the 1999 International Water Resource Engineering Conference, American Society of Civil
Engineers. Seattle, WA
8. Roofscapes, Inc. n.d. Project examples on www.roofmeadow.com Philadelphia, PA.
9. Sarnafil.n.d. Fact sheet. Canton, MA.
10. Velazquez, Linda S. 1999. www.greenroofs.com. University of Georgia, Alpharetta.
11. ZinCo.GmbH. “Why Have a Green Roof?” on www.zinco.de Unterensinger, Germany.

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